Aging Process and Associated Conditions (Week 2) Flashcards
circadian rhythm
physical, mental, health behaviors that follow 24hr cycle - responding primarily to light and darkness
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
controls the internal clock by starting the release of hormone melatonin in the evening and cortisol in the morning
Melatonin
health-promoting functions - low melatonin is a sign that the SCN is dysfunctioning; can lead to illnesses including cancer diabetes and heart disease
rods and cones
photoreceptors in the eyes that provide concious vision
retinal ganglion cells
photoreceptors the communicate directly with the brain and are responsive to the blue part of light
Younger population exposed to blue light experience (3)
- increased alertness
- decreased sleepiness
- improved mood
cataract surgery
removes the clouded lenses and implants clear intraocular lenses
Post cataract surgery changes(3)
decreased insomnia
decreased daytime sleepiness
improved reaction time
macular degeneration
age-related eye disease that causes vision loss
Majority of older adults are
female
Men are married longer because
men die earlier than women leaving them widowers
Highest cause of death
heart disease
young old
65-74
old
75-84
old-old
85-99
oldest-old
100+
sandwich generation
adults in their 30s and 40s raising their kids and taking care of their parents
Annual cost of physical frailty
$54-80 Billion and rising
morbidity
absence of health - disease
co-morbidities
more than one disease that affects each other ex - COPD and CHF or Diabetes and heart disease
older adults function representing more than the loss of the physiological system
Continue occupations by adapting to the loss
older adults function representing less than the loss of the physiological system
Stops occupations and activities causing more comorbidities
Hayflick Limit Theory
cells stop reproducing at a certain age and organs start dying at a genetically programmed time
Damage Inflicted Model
the body accumulates all the damage done to it through the years and can no longer repair; loss of function and system failure (non-genetic)
Sarcopenia(4)
- decrease in the number of muscle fibers and decrease in the size of muscle fibers = Muscle wasting
- Decrease in firing rates
- Decrease in power
- Increase time in contracting
Which hormones impact muscle contraction?
GH
DHEA
Testosterone
Muscle power
the ability to contract and move quickly
How do we counter sarcopenia?
resistive exercises
Loss of number of muscle fibers means that we can’t _____
grow muscle (look decreased; normal part of aging)
After 40yrs old our bones change by _______
increased absorption compared to laying down
compact (cortical) bone
hard skeleton
cancellous (trabecular) bone
fibrous strands at ends of bones
Who loses more bone mass?
Women 1%/yr (men .5%/yr)
What increases the process that deteriorates bone while impairing cells that manufacture bone?
Menopause
Interventions for bone loss (3)
- calcium supplementation
- medication
- weight-bearing activities
Osteopenia bone mineral density = _______
-1.0 to -2.5 (on it’s way to osteoporosis
Osteoporosis bone mineral density = __________
> 2.5
osteomalacia
pathologically unable to lay down new bone
Ways to prevent osteopenia (3)
healthy lifestyle
WB physical activity
healthy eating
connective tissues (5)
ligaments, joint capsules, tendons, intramuscular connective tissue, cartilage
Biochemical changes in connective tissue (2)
- increase in amnt and diameter of collagen
2. decrease in water, elastin, and proteoglycan content
what happens to connective tissue as it ages ? (2)
becomes stiffer and loses tensile strength
causes fibrillation of articular cartilage
Increased collagen = ________
increased stiffness
How do we counter aging of connective tissue?
Flexibility excersises
Aging changes of the Heart (5)
- increase left ventricular wall thickness
- increase in arterial thickness and stiffness
- valves become thickened (heart murmur)
- Decreased max. HR
- Increase in SBP, DBP stays consistent
How do we counter aging of the heart? (2)
- physical activity
2. proper diet
What causes the slightly elevated HR and BP in the again heart?
Thickening of the valves
220-your age =
the HR needed to be reached during physical activity for healthy heart
Aging change in the vascular system
Connective tissue of the vascular system stiffens and thickens affecting the baroreceptors causing change in the vascular system and change in blood flow
orthostatic hypotension
- How much does it change
- Occurs in what age range?
- Symptoms
- Always consider ________
- SBP drops 20 mmHG
- occurs in 30-50% >75yrs of age
- Dizziness, confusion, weakness, fainting
- always consider drug-induced side effects
treatment of orthostatic hypotension (2)
deep breathing
wait
50% of older adults have some degree of _________
heart disease
Cardiac-Vascular Pathology (3)
- Arteriosclerosis
- Coronary heart disease (CHD)
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
As an occupational therapist when changing a warm up routine you should_________
check clients vitals before and after
Aging of lungs(4)
The change in connective tissue decreases lung elasticity and thoracic expansion.
Muscles less effective
Decreased vital capacity
Increased residual volume
Aging of olfaction
decrease in sense of smell
Aging of Gustation(3)
Decrease in # of taste buds
Decreased # of neurons in taste center of the brain
Alteration in taste cell membranes
Aging of Ingestion (3)
Psychological stress, food preparation
Decreased fluid intake
Dentition
Changes in connective tissue causes changes in ______
Body composition
Aging Digestion and absorption (3)
- decreased secretion of digestive enzymes
- hepatic and biliary insufficiency
- atrophy of intestinal mucosa & musculature
Aging Metabolism (4)
- impaired glucose use
- decrease renal function
- changes in mineral & vitamin metabolism
- decline in BMR
Metabolism decreased by 2%/decade after age ____
30
Weight loss of aging adults is due to (3)
- decreased H2O
- Decreased appetite
- Decrease in muscle mass
Decreased muscle mass leads to an increase in ______
body fat
Aging Endocrine System (4)
- decrease in glucose tolerance causes an increase in insulin response
- Gradual decrease in the release of thyroid hormones =decrease in basal metabolic rate
- Decrease in GH, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone
- decrease in melatonin
Normal aging puts us a higher risk for _____
diabetes
We can counter the decrease in our basal metabolic rate by _______
increasing physical activity
Melatonin decreases significantly after age ____
40
Older Adult sleep patterns(3)
- Decreased length of sleep
- Change in sleep stage patterns
- Decreased sleep quality
Aging Genitourinary system (6)
- decrease in # and size of nephrons
- decrease in kidney mass
- Reduced bladder elasticity (connective tissue), muscle tone, and capacity
- increased evening output
- Decrease in sphincter control
- Urethra shortens and its lining becomes thinner
Decrease in kidney mass means the kidney is ______
less able to concentrate urine and clear drugs
sensation
the neural activity triggered by a stimulus that activates a sensory receptor and results in sensory nerve impulses traveling the sensory nerve pathways to the brain
perception
the multi-stage process that takes place in the brain and includes selecting, processing, organizing and integrating information received from the senses
myopia
near-sighted
hyperopia
far-sighted
visual acuity
sharpness of sight
accommodation
a process by which the eye adjusts and is able to focus
presbyopia
decline in accomodation
Causes of the decline in acuity (3)
- cornes and lense thicken
- decrease in iris and pupil functioning
- need more light for reading and to detect objects
The decrease in dark adaption, contrast sensitivity and color vision is due to
changes in retina and a loss of photoreceptors
VER
visual evoked response
Slowness in VER due to (2)
- decrease in # of axons in the optic nerve
2. processing changes in the occipital cortex
decrease in ocular motor functions (3)
- compromised convergence
- Restricted upward gaze
- reduce smooth pursuit
Cataracts
a cloudiness or opacity in the normally transparent crystalline lens of the eye. This cloudiness can cause a decrease in vision and may lead to eventual blindness.
Cataracts can be
removed
Menopauses impact on bones
- decrease in estrogen = decrease in absorption of calcium
- increases the process that deteriorates bone while impairing cells that manufacture bone
Changes in a Women’s Genitourinary System (3)
- Vaginal walls become less elastic and thinner
- Vagina becomes shorter & secretions become scanty & watery
- Atrophy or the external genital tissue
Changes in Men’s Genitourinary System (3)
- Testicular tissue mass decreases
- Sperm cell production slows
- Prostate gland enlarges and is replaced by fibrotic tissue
Signs of visual aging (4)
- squinting
- unusual head movements to align gaze
- closing one eye
- decreased coordination or abnormal reaching
The aging Auditory system causes functional impairment by what age?
70
Conductive Hearing Loss
occurs when there is a problem conducting sound waves anywhere along the route through the outer ear, tympanic membrane (eardrum), or middle ear (ossicles)
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)
type of hearing loss, or deafness, in which the root cause lies in the inner ear (cochlear), vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII), or central processing centers of the brain
What is presbycusis?
age-related progression of hearing
What are the signs of presbycusis? (3)
- loss of hair cells in organ of Corti.
- degenerative changes of cochlea nerve fiber
- Trophic changes of cochlea nerve fibers
Normal aging changes for the auditory system are (6)
- Functional impairment beyond 70
- Conductive hearing loss
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Presbycusis
- Decrease in frequency sensitivity
- Information processing